Stomach ulcers are sores that form in the lining of the stomach or in the duodenum lining, which are usually very painful. Ulcers come as a result of too much acid produced in the body and a reduced amount of mucus that protects the stomach and small intestines from being damaged by digestive juices. The primary symptom of ulcers is a burning effect or gnawing pain that comes in the abdomen time by time. Ulcers are curable by administering antibiotics, and the patients are retested after some time to check whether there are any H. Pylori bacteria left in the system.
Question One
The epigastric region of the body is the part located above the stomach and contains several organs that are involved in the digestion process. The liver is one of the organs found in the Epigastric region, which is the largest gland in the body. The liver detoxifies the blood that is coming from the digestive tract and produces chemicals that help in food digestion. The stomach is another organ located in the epigastric region, which is the organ that receives food from the esophagus and secretes enzymes that digest food. The pancreas is located in the epigastric region; it helps in digestion and controls blood sugar levels in the human body.
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Question Two
The vagus nerve, commonly known as the 10 th cranial nerve (CN X), is the specific cranial nerve that supplies to the Epigastric region. The vagus nerve provides a connection between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. It sends information concerning the state of the inner organs to the brain (Rambhai et al., n.d). Vagus nerve belongs to the autonomic nervous system.
Question Three
The alimentary canal, which is known as the digestive tract, is composed of four primary layers, with each layer having specific tissues that are important in food breakdown. The figure below shows the four segments, their muscles, and their general functions.
| Layers | Tissues | Functions |
| Mucosa |
Epithelial cells Connective tissues |
Absorption of nutrients and protects the stomach from stomach acids |
| Submucosa | Connective tissues | Absorption of nutrients into the bloodstreams |
| Smooth muscle |
The inner circular layer of tissues The longitudinal layer of tissues |
Aids in muscle contractions that help push food through the alimentary canal |
| Serosa | Epithelial, connective tissue membrane | It helps reduce friction as he alimentary canal come into contact with other organs |
Question Four
The mucosa comprises of epithelial cell layer supported by a thin layer of lamina propria, which is connective tissue. The mucosa also has a thin layer of smooth muscle known as the muscular mucosa that supports the mucosa. The mucosa contains glands that secrets crucial hydrochloric acid; it helps in food breakdown in the stomach. Mucosa also secrets mucus that protects the stomach lining from damage by stomach acid and protects the duodenum from the high acidity of the hydrochloric acid.
Question Five
The gastric juice known as the hydrochloric acid is secreted in the parietal cell in the lumen; it provides an acid environment. The importance of the acid is for the activation of pepsinogen and the killing of microorganisms causing harm, like bacteria. The hormone known as the peptide is also secreted from the gastric epithelium to control the amount of acid emitted since excess excretion of the acid is harmful to human bodies.
Question Six
Buffering effect refers to the mucus that is produced to protect the duodenum from chime, which is acidic. The duodenum accomplishes buffering by secreting a large amount of mucus from the submucosal glands. The mucus then helps protect the duodenum from acid damage because it contains bicarbonate. Bicarbonate helps in raising the PH of the chime or neutralizes the chime.
Question Seven
Histamine is a chemical that plays a role in gastric secretion by helping to induce the production of acid in the stomach (Cohen, B., & Hull, K. (2018). Mr. Volpe taking Pepcid, which is a histamine receptor antagonist, will help him to have relief. It is because it will hinder the secretion of histamine, which aids in acid production. Hence, no acid will be produced in the body which can lead to reduced pain as no burning will take place.
Question Eight
The contents of gastric juice are hostile to the exposed walls of duodenum. This is because of the presence of pepsin and acid status of the chime. Pepsin is very active when it is combined with an acid. It may cause damage to epithelial walls of duodenum when they are exposed to the mixture.
Question Nine
Mr. Volpe is relieved immediately by food but returns 2-4 hours later, which is the time that the acidic chime takes to move from the stomach to the duodenum. The reason behind this phenomenon is that when Mr. Volpe takes some foods, they buffer the stomach acid. This brings pain relief immediately when the food is eaten. But the burning effects may return after sometimes as the digestion process continues towards the end.
Question Ten
Mr.Volpe was diagnosed with a sore or sores in the lining of the duodenum at the beginning. One year after Mr. Volpe's therapy, the duodenum was healthy and healed, which means there were no traces of sores that were observed. The duodenum seemed to have a layer of enough mucus coating its walls. This protects it from damage by stomach acid.
In conclusion, ulcers are sores that form in the stomach or duodenum lining. They cause pain and discomfort to the patient. These sores are caused by H. Pylori bacteria and are curable by the administration of antibiotics. The pain caused by the ulcers can be relieved by taking an H2-receptor antagonist, which helps in reducing the amount of acid secreted in the stomach.
REFERENCES
Cohen, B., & Hull, K. (2018). Memmler's the human body in health and disease. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Rambhai, P. A., Sisodia, S. S., Chaudhuri, A., & Patidar, A. Pharmaceutical and Biosciences Journal. microscopy (10X), 17, 18.
